Latest Posts

Notice anything different? It’s the work of a dozen different tech-wizards, web-designers, producers and editors responsible for giving Inside the Irish (and eventually the rest of the NBCSports.com blogs) a totally awesome face lift. For those of you logging in this afternoon, prepare for ITI 2.0, where you’ll still get the same old me, but…

When addressing the media after his worst coaching loss in nearly two full seasons, Brian Kelly made it clear that the season could go two ways, after starting with three loses in their first four games. “There’s going to be a lot of 1-3 football teams across the country,” Kelly said after losing to Stanford.…

After over forty years of frustration, the Naval Academy has finally turned the tide on the Fighting Irish. After years of having victory snatched out of their hands by a football team with greater pedigree and higher-ranked recruits, 2007 marked a watershed victory for the Midshipmen, and the opening of the floodgates that have turned…

As he does every Tuesday, Brian Kelly threw on a suit and addressed the assembled media for his weekly press conference. On tap this week, a date with the pesky Naval Academy. Here’s a snippet of what BK said: As usual, here are a few observations: During an interesting exchange, Kelly was asked about…

During Brian Kelly’s Tuesday remarks, he announced that the wide receiving corp is definitely shy one more playmaker — and possible two — as they prepare for Navy. Theo Riddick will be wearing a cast on his severely sprained ankle and unavailable for Saturday’s contest. “We were fearful it would require surgery,” Kelly said. “Doesn’t…

After 43 consecutive victories over Navy, the Midshipmen have having beaten Notre Dame two of the last three times they’ve played. With an option offense piloted by Ricky Dobbs, one of the best option quarterbacks to play in the last two decades, preparation for Navy’s option attack is already well underway. “This will be our…

Before we put Saturday’s 44-20 victory in the rear-view mirror, let’s talk about what was gained from the win against Western Michigan, the first MAC opponent to play the Irish in Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish were able to pull out their first three-game winning streak since early last season, erasing the three-game slide that…

Notre Dame got off to the perfect start on Saturday afternoon, with Dayne Crist hitting a wide open Michael Floyd for an 80-yard touchdown pass on the games first play from scrimmage. The rest of the first half? Not so great. “I was not happy obviously about the first half and we hadn’t played that…

We’re back for another Pregame Twelve Pack. Twelve fun facts, tidbits, leftovers and miscellaneous musings as we head into the Western Michigan game. 1. The Irish will be wearing new uniforms this Saturday. Thanks to some new technology from Adidas, the Irish will be donning the new TECHFIT compression jersey this Saturday. “They’re really excited…

If you’re looking for a debate among Notre Dame football fans, there’s none more enjoyable than the run/pass balance in Brian Kelly’s offensive system. While people have to be pleased with the steady progress from quarterback Dayne Crist, the transformation of Armando Allen during his senior season has made him the offensive MVP of the…

With Western Michigan not exactly the sexiest of opponents and the season exactly half-way finished, the guys at We Never Graduate hosted the Irish Blogger Gathering with a fairly meaty selection of questions. I’ll do my best to answer the bonus question without getting Jack Donaghy calling downstairs for my head. The Irish have posted…

Yesterday afternoon, Brian Kelly addressed the media to discuss things other than Kyle Rudolph’s season ending injury. Specifically, Kelly talked Bill Cubit’s Western Michigan Broncos. Here’s a slice of what he said, courtesy of the video guys: A few observations: It’s amazing how candid Kelly is when dealing with the media. I think back…

It’ll be a historic Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium, when the first ever Mid-American Conference team takes on Notre Dame when the Irish play the Western Michigan Broncos. The match-up marks the first time the Irish have played Western Michigan since 1920, with the Irish blanking WMU 53-0 in 1919 and 41-0 in 1920. With…

It wasn’t too long ago that Irish fans wondered if Harrison Smith had what it took to be a starter on a Notre Dame defense that was anything but impressive. Smith has long dazzled Irish fans and coaches with his raw athletic ability, but even though the previous regime did just about everything you could…

In what was expected to be a pretty low-key press conference, Brian Kelly just dropped a gigantic bomb by announcing that pre-season All-American tight end Kyle Rudolph is out for the season. “Certainly you lose one of the best tight ends in the country, that’s a loss,” Kelly said. Rudolph re-injured a hamstring that had…